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September 05, 2007
NY Times: No More Privies, So Hikers Add a Carry-Along
View from near the summit of Mt. Whitney - Photo by Jeffrey Hunter
In August 2006 I had the extreme pleasure of hiking the 221-mile John Muir Trail in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. I was joined on this journey by my good friend Jeff Brewer of the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail. Along the way, we encountered no privies or shelters. On the final evening before we climbed Mt Whitney, which at 14,497 feet is the highest point in the lower 48, a National Park Service Ranger gave us each a WAG bag so we could pack out any human waste from this heavily used area. WAG bags are now required to be carried and used by hikers who climb Mt. Whitney.
Today, the NY Times has a feature story about the elimination of privies on Mt. Whitney. You can read the story at the link below below, and view a 7 minute 31 second video from the NY Times here. Enjoy!
Permalink to No More Privies, So Hikers Add a Carry-Along by Felicity Barringer
The hut atop Mt. Whitney. Photo by Jeffrey Hunter
This privy on the Mt. Whitney Trail was removed in spring 2007
Photo by Jeff Brewer
Hiking in the News | By Jeffrey Hunter | 07:59 AM
